With the passing away of Lata Mangeshkar, it is not just the end of an era of Indian music. Rather, it is the end of a very important chapter of India's culture, this culture being the culture of unity in diversity, one which has cut across barriers of language, religion, and even age. The 92-year old Lata did not belong to just one generation of people; instead, she belonged to, and probably also represented a whole series of generations that constitute post-independence India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that her death has left a void in the nation which cannot be filled. President Ram Nath Kovind on the other hand said that while the news of Lata Mangeshkar's death was heart-breaking for him, as it is for millions the world over, generations had found in her songs an expression of their innermost emotions. Born in Indore on September 28, 1929, her father was a singer, theatre actor and producer of musical plays in the Marathi language. Eldest of five children, she not only rose to become India's most loved and most admired voice but also led her siblings to become well-known singers. It is very interesting to note that Lata Mangeshkar had recorded the first song of her career – "Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari" – in 1942 for a Marathi film called 'Kiti Hasaal'. But it so happened that the song was removed from the film's final cut. That however did not dishearten her, and she went ahead not only to become India's most celebrated singer, but also recorded close to 30,000 songs, the last of them being "Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki" which was composed by Mayuresh Pai, as a tribute to the Indian Army and nation, and released on March 30, 2019. Considered as a rare unifying force of the country of over one billion people, Lata's voice has also worked as magic during several occasions when India was engaged in a war against two of her hostile neighbours. Her song "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon", the immortal lyric of which was penned by Pradeep, in fact, works almost like an anthem for India's security forces. Thanks to Bhupen Hazarika, the Nightingale of India had also found a special place in the hearts of the people of Assam. It was Lata Mangeshkar who had immortalized "Jonakore raati, Asamire maati" – a 1956 song of Bhupen Hazarika which had featured in 'Era Bator Sur', one of the greatest Assamese films made by the latter.